Track & Field Adds Two New Coaches
7/29/2024 3:30:00 PM | Track & Field
NACOGDOCHES, Texas- The Stephen F. Austin Track and Field team has added two new coaches, Nate Scales and Felipe Valencia, for the 2024-25 season.
Valencia will coach the throwers and joins SFA after a three-year stint at the University of the Incarnate Word. Prior to joining UIW, Valencia coached at UTRGV where he assisted with all the throwing events for a regionally ranked WAC throwing team. Valencia competed for five seasons at the University of Houston where he is known as a well-rounded thrower with strong marks in the weight, hammer throw and shot put.
"Felipe has had several great years at UIW! He has great knowledge across all the throws, and he has demonstrated his ability to develop athletes at a high level," said head coach Rob Hansen. "He assisted the throws portion of several national multis athletes this past year and he seems to be surrounded with winning. Felipe is also well respected across the state of Texas, as he was a great prep athlete from The Valley and had a successful collegiate career while at UH."
"I believe we're incredibly blessed to hire two really strong up-and-coming coaches to our staff," said Hansen. "We had an incredible group of candidates to choose from, but both of these men fit with exactly what we're looking for based on where our program is at right now, and the direction that we're heading with our return to the Southland Conference."
Scales will coach the sprints, hurdles and horizontal jumps and joins SFA after a one year stint at Davenport University. Prior to joining Davenport, Scales coached at Central Michigan University starting in August of 2022 and worked with the sprinters, hurdlers and horizontal jumpers while with the Chippewas.
Scales also served as an assistant at Columbia University in 2020-21 and before that was an assistant at Texas Lutheran, Colgate, and Heidelberg. At those previous institutions, he coached athletes that set a combined six program records, won three conference championships, and twice earned NCAA All-Region honors.
Scales competed on the track & field team at Kent State from 2010-14. He was a member of the Golden Flashes' 4x100 relay team that won the Mid-American Conference outdoor title in 2011. He also ran a leg on the relay squad that finished second both in 2013 and in 2014 at the MAC Outdoor Championships.
"We're thrilled to have Nate on board and on ground with us going foward," said head coach Rob Hansen. "He has a great track mind and the athletes are going to love getting to know him. He's got a bright future in our program."
Valencia will coach the throwers and joins SFA after a three-year stint at the University of the Incarnate Word. Prior to joining UIW, Valencia coached at UTRGV where he assisted with all the throwing events for a regionally ranked WAC throwing team. Valencia competed for five seasons at the University of Houston where he is known as a well-rounded thrower with strong marks in the weight, hammer throw and shot put.
"Felipe has had several great years at UIW! He has great knowledge across all the throws, and he has demonstrated his ability to develop athletes at a high level," said head coach Rob Hansen. "He assisted the throws portion of several national multis athletes this past year and he seems to be surrounded with winning. Felipe is also well respected across the state of Texas, as he was a great prep athlete from The Valley and had a successful collegiate career while at UH."
"I believe we're incredibly blessed to hire two really strong up-and-coming coaches to our staff," said Hansen. "We had an incredible group of candidates to choose from, but both of these men fit with exactly what we're looking for based on where our program is at right now, and the direction that we're heading with our return to the Southland Conference."
Scales will coach the sprints, hurdles and horizontal jumps and joins SFA after a one year stint at Davenport University. Prior to joining Davenport, Scales coached at Central Michigan University starting in August of 2022 and worked with the sprinters, hurdlers and horizontal jumpers while with the Chippewas.
Scales also served as an assistant at Columbia University in 2020-21 and before that was an assistant at Texas Lutheran, Colgate, and Heidelberg. At those previous institutions, he coached athletes that set a combined six program records, won three conference championships, and twice earned NCAA All-Region honors.
Scales competed on the track & field team at Kent State from 2010-14. He was a member of the Golden Flashes' 4x100 relay team that won the Mid-American Conference outdoor title in 2011. He also ran a leg on the relay squad that finished second both in 2013 and in 2014 at the MAC Outdoor Championships.
"We're thrilled to have Nate on board and on ground with us going foward," said head coach Rob Hansen. "He has a great track mind and the athletes are going to love getting to know him. He's got a bright future in our program."
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